Confined-combustion gas-burning apparatus.



L. B. METTLER.

CONFINED COMBUSTION GAS BURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.7, 1912.

1 16 177, Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I VITNESSES: INVENTOR.

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L. B. METTLER. CONFINED COMBUSTION GAS BURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-7| I912.

1 169 17? v Patented Jail. 25, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES.-

/fi ATTORNEY.

L. B. METTLER. CONFI'NED COMBUSTION GAS BURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJ, 1912.

1 9 1 69,1 77, I Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 1 Z g an 7 Z 45 b9 5o 49 TNESSZ::S.- I96 4 42% 777 [:VVENTOR.

L. B. METTLER.

CONFINED COMBUSTION GAS BURNING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUGJ, 1912.

1, 169, 1 7?, Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

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LEE B. METTLER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

CONFINED-COMBUSTION GAS-BURNING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

Application filed August 7, 1912. Serial No. 713,853.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, LEE B. METTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City,in the county ofJackson and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Confined- Combustion Gas Burning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in confined combustion gas burning apparatus.

One object of my invention is to provide an apparatus which is simple in construction,

easily operated by an unskilled person, and

which will burn gas with a maximum of efficiency and at a minimum of cost.

My invention provides an apparatus in which confined combustion of the gas takes place in a burner, consisting of a porousbody of refractory, heat-resisting material, and with the elimination of a fiame.

My invention provides: further, novel means for distributing to the burner the proper mixture of gas and air, and with the tion with a gas supply controlling. means,

which in turn controls the operation of the air supplying means."

My invention provides further, a motor operated air compressor for. supplying air under pressure, combined with gas controlling means, which also controls the operation of the motor.

Other novel features of my invention are hereinafter described and claimed.

I In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my inventionFigure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertioalsec'tion, of a storage water heater, which is provided with my inventioin Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line (15-5 of Fig. 1, the refractory material which constitutes the burner, being omitted. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view, of the gas and air mixer. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view will not occur. ordlnary conditions, if the openlngs are oneof the circuit controlling mechanism of the motor circuit. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the motor circuit. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the thermostatic mechanism, shown in Fig. 1. Fig.

7 is a view partly in vertical section and.

partly in elevation of a hot air furnace and accessory parts, equipped with my invention. In this form of my invention, the thermo statically controlled mechanism is controlled by the temperature of the house or building,

a portion of which is shown. Fig. 8 isa View partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of a steam boiler for power or heating purposes, which is provided with my invention, and which is not provided with the thermostatic controlling mechanism. F ig. 9 is a top view of the distributer, which is shown in Fig. 8.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts in the different views.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, 1 indicates the casing of a water heater, having a water jacket 2, which is connected by pipes 3 and 4,

with a storage tank 5. Within the casing 1 and supported on the bottom 6, of the heater is a burner, eomprising preferably a porous body consisting of finely divided, loosely packed refractory material 7, which is preferably crushed fire brick of about pea size.

The size of the particles may be varied to correspond with the force with which the fluid mixture of gas and air is passed through the burner.

To evenly distribute the mixed gas and air through the different parts of the. burner 7, I, preferably provide a distributor of the kind shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and which may consist of one or more tubular rings 8, which are disposed'horizontally and embedded in the refractory material 7, as shown in Fig. 1. The rings 8 in their upper sides, are provided with a plurality of holes in which are preferably removably fitted jet members 9,

having extending therethrough small discharge openings 10, of a diameter such that, with the air pressure employed, back firing I have found that under quarter ofan inch in diameter or less, back firing will not occur. It 1s Very important -that back firing does not occur, as otherwise the entire apparatus might be blown up,

thus causing a financial loss and possibly a loss of life, as the mixture of gas and air which I employ is highly explosive.

The jet members 9 are preferably removable so that others may be substituted, which have smaller or larger jet openings, as the conditions may require. gas pressure is high the openings should be smaller than would be required for a lower pressure.

The distributer 8 is connected by a horizontal pipe 11, with a gas mixer, such as is shown in Fig. 3, and which comprises a casing 12, having a gas inlet 13, and an air inlet 14. Preferably the inlet 14 discharges into a hollow conical nozzle 15, which has its discharge end centered in the small end of a conical passage 16, the larger end of which discharges into the pipe 11, and the smaller end of which communicates with a passage 17, which encirclesthe conical nozzle 15, and which receives gas from the inlet 13.

The inlet 13 is part of a conductor ,18, which is connected to the source of gas supply, not shown, and in which is located an ordinary rock valve 19, by which the flow of gas through the conductor 18 is controlled.

The air inlet 14 forms part of an air conductor 20, which is connected to any suitable air pressure supply, as for example, a centrifugal pump or blower 21, which may have its shaft 22 directly coupled to or forming a part of the armature shaft of an electric motor 23, shown in Fig. 2. In the conductor 20 is provided a rock valve 24, which controls the flow of air through said conductor.

Respeotively secured to the valves 19 and 24, are levers 25 and 26.

For the purpose of safety and to prevent "dangerous explosions, it is advisable to open the valve 19 prior to opening the air valve 24. For the same purpose, it is also desirable that the gas valve 19 shall be closed prior to the closing of the air valve 24. In order that these operations shall always be effected, in their proper order, I preferably provide a mechanism by which the levers 25 and 26 may be cooperatively operated at the proper time. To effect this the lever 26 has pivoted to it the lower end of a link 27,

the upper end of which is provided with a vertical slot 28, in which is mounteda transverse pin 29, which is secured to the lever 25. When the lever 25 is swung upwardly it moves the gas valve 19 to the open position, thus permitting gas to pass through the mixer 12, pipe 11, distributer 8, and refractory material 7, where it is instantly ignited as it arrives at the upper surface of thematerial 7, by a constantly burning pilot light 30, which is supplied by a pipe 31 connected to the gas conductor 18. After the valve 19 has been thus swung to the open position, the pin 29 will have traveled to the upper end of the slot28, at which Where the fractory material 7, resulting time the link 27 will be lifted and the lever creases and. will finally disappear, the combustion which is effected taking place in the interstices of the upper portion of the refractory material 7. This will result in the upper portion of the refractory material 7 becoming heated to incandescence, the depth of the incandescent portion depending upon the quantity and force of the fuel mixture. The relative amounts of gas and air supplied should be such as will produce the best re sults. If too small an amount of air is supplied, a flame will be produced above the rein a great loss in efficiency, while if the amount of air supplied is. too great, the mixture will be too dilute to aiford combustion. A few trials will soon determine the proper amount of air and gas to be supplied and this may be regulated accordingly by regulating the gas supply or by regulating the speed of the blower 21, or by regulating'both. 1

In order that the motor may be started when the lever 25 is swung upwardly to the open position, and in order that it may be stopped when said lever is swung downwardly to the closed position shown in Figs.

1 and 4, I provide the following mechanism:

The motor 23, and blower 21 are mounted upon any suitable support 32, to which is secured a horizontal spring bar 33, one end of which is secured by a pin 34, to the support 32, and the other end of which is adapted to have rest against its upper side the lever 25. The tension of the spring bar 33 is such as to normally bring it in contact with a vertical screw 35,

mounted in a plate 36, secured to and insulated from the support 32. A horizontal pin 37, mounted in the support 32, may be employed to limit the downward movement of the spring bar 33. The spring bar 33 and the screw 35 are electrically conductive and form the contacts of a circuit controlling mechanism which is in circuit with the motor 23.

As shown in'Fig. 5, the contact 35 is connected by a conductor '38 with one brush of an electric generator 39, the other brush of which is connected by a conductor 40 with one brush of the motor 23, the other brush of which is connected by a conductor 41 with, the bar 33.

In case the lever 25 is swung upwardly to the open position, the spring bar 33 will move upwardly against the contact screw downwardly to the closed, position shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, the spring bar 33 will be swung away from the contact 35, thereby breaking the circuit, upon which the motor 23 and blower 21 will stop running.

Each form of my invention, shown 'in Figs. 1, 7 and 8, is provided with the same mixing mechanism and mechanism for controlling the supply of gas and air which have just been described.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the distributer employed is somewhat different from that shown in Figs.

1 and 2, the form shown in Figs. 8 and 9 f comprising a horizontal header tube 42, which is connected at its center with the pipe 11 and which has its ends closed by plugs 43. A plurality of horizontal tubes 44 disposed at right angles to tube 42 and having one set of ends connected therewith, have their other set of ends closed by caps 45. The upper sides of the tubes 44 are provided with transverse saw slots 46. The tubes 44 and 42 are covered by the refractory material 7, as shown in Fig. 8. The refractory material 7 is placed in the usual fire box 47, over which is mounted the boiler 48.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 8, the lever 25 is adapted to be oscillated by hand. Where it is designed to operate the lever 25 automatically by thermostatically controlled means, it may be effected by the mechanism shown in Fig. 7 or by that shown in Fig. 1. In each of these constructions the lever 25 is normally downwardly drawn by'means of-a coil spring 49, one end of which is secured to the lever and the lower end of which is secured to a pin 50 pro ect1ng from the support 32. For swinging upwardlythe lever 25 it has attached to it the lower end of a cord 51, which is adapted to be wound upon and unwound from a drum 52, the rotation in opposite directions of which may be effected by any well-known thermostatically controlled mechanism, such as is shown and described in the U. S. Patent No. 952,991, such a struce ture being designated in Figs. 1 and 7 by 53.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig.

7, the thermostat 54, which may be of any ordinary type, is laced in the room, the temperature of which is to control the operation of the thermostatic mechanism, said thermostat being connected by the wires 55 with the winding mechanism 53. When the themostat 54 has indicated the .lowest temperature desired, the winding mechanisin 53 will be operated to turn the drum 52 so as to wind thereon the cord 51, thereby swinging the lever 25 upwardly to the open position, in which position itwill remain until the thermostat 54 indicates the highest limit of temperature desired, upon which the winding mechanism 53 will be operated to turn the drum 52 in the reverse direction, thereby unwinding the cord 51 and permitting the coil spring 49 to move the levers 25 and 26 to the closed positions, upon which the gas will be first shut off and the motor circuit broken, upon which the motor and blower will stop, the air which is blown through the apparatus after the gas has been shut off, causing any explosive -mixture which may be in the combustion chamber to be blown therefrom through the smoke pipe 56.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 7, the refractory mate-rial 7 is placed in the usual combustion chamber 57, as shown in Fig. 7. The distributer 58, shown in Fig. 7, corresponds to the distributer 8 excepting that the circular tubes are provided with slots 46, instead of with detachable jet mem- 'bers, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 1, 'the thermostat employed to control the winding device 53 may be of the type commonly employed in water heaters .or it may be of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

'Inthe latter form a vertical bar 59 is pivoted to one end of the tank 5 and has mounted in it a set screw 60, which bears against one end of a. porcelain rod 61, which is mounted in a copper tube 62, which extends into'the tank 5 and has its outer end rigidly secured to the adjacent head 63 of the tank. The upper end of the bar 59 has extending through it and insulated therefrom a contact 64 which, when the bar is moved in one direction, strikes a contact 65, and when the bar 59 is moved in the opposite direction, the contact 64 will strike a contact 66. The contacts 64, 65 and 66, are connected respectively by conductors 67, 68 and 69, with a winding machine 53. A coil spring 70, bearing against the head 63,normally forces the bar 59 so as to have the screw 60 bear against the porcelain rod 61. As the water in the tank 5 becomes sufliciently cooled the copper tube 62 will contract, thereby through the rod 61 and screw 60 forcing the bar 59 against the contact 65, upon which the winding mechanism 53 will be operated to turn the drum 52 so as to wind thereon the cord 51, upon which the lever 25 will .be swung to the open position, as will be the lever 26, thus starting the blower and admitting gas in the manner which I have already described. When the gas has been burning long enough so that the water in the tank 5 has become heated to the highest desired temperature, the copper tube 62 will so expand as to permit the spring 70 to swing the bar 59 so that the flame and with a maximum of efficiency and without danger of explosion, in any one of the three forms which I have illustrated and described. 1

In the forms illustrated in Figs. 1 and 7 the entire operation will be automatic and the employment of an attendant will be unnecessary;

I do not limit my invention to the structures shown and described, as various modifications-may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters'Patent, is a 1. In a furnace, a mixer having a gas inlet and an air inlet, means for supplying gas to the gas inlet, means for forcing air into the mixer through said air inlet, a motor for operating said air forcing means, means for controlling ,the flow of gas 'throughsaid gas inlet, and means'controlled by said gas controlling means for controlling the operation of the motor.

2. In a furnace, a mixer having a gas inlet and an air inlet, means for controlling the flow of gas through the gas inlet, means for forcing air through the air inlet, and means valve,

, ing means.

3. In a furnace, a mixer having a gas inlet and an air inlet, a valve controlling the gas inlet, means for opening and closing the means for supplying the air inlet with air under pressure, a motor for operating the air supplying means, and means con trolled by the valve opening and closing means for controlling the operation of the motor. 7

1. In a furnace, a mixer having a gas inlet and an air inlet, a'valve controlling the gas inlet, a compressor for forcing air into said air inlet, a motor for operating said compressor, means for operating said valve, and means controlled by the valve operating means controlling the operation of the motor.

5. In a furnace, a mixer having a gas inlet and an air inlet, a valve controlling the 'gas inlet, means for operating the valve, means for forcing air into the air inlet, and means controlled by the valve operating means for controllingsaid air forcing means to permit the flow of air' to the air inlet after the valveihas been opened and to shut off the supply of air from said air inlet after the valve has been closed. I

In testimony whereof I have s gned my name to this specification in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. LEE BL METTLER.

l/Vitnesses:

E. B. HOUSE, J. MEEKs. 

